Ear protector



Feb. 2s, 1939.

F. M. ROOS EAR PROTECTOR Filed Noy 7, 1936 INVENTOR. aas;

@rence/7 B ff ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED ysrAxrEs PATENT OFFICE EAR PROTECTOR l Florence M. Roos, Redlands, Calif. Application November 7, 1936, Serial No. 109,697

. 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an ear protector which is'constructed to protect the human ear from heat and cold and 'to -guardvagainst the entrance of liquid into the meatus of the y'ear during tonsorial 5 and beauty culture oper-ations. v

The invention also pertains to an article of manufacture.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simplied, self-supporting article which is shaped io to .iitover the `external ear in such a manner as to aord the desired protection to the ear, and which may readily be applied to and removed from the ear. This article may be manufactured from any desired light, durable material. A

l5 somewhat stiff sheet material of a Waterproof character, or havinga waterproofed exterior sur face may be used. Celluloid, rubber composition, Bakelite, or materials made of fibrous paper pulp may be made use of. It is desirable that the 2O material be nonconductive of heat, as well as impervious to water and other liquids.

The article is adapted to keep soap suds out of the ears while the head is being washed; to keep the hot air out ofthe ears while the blower is Q5 being used to dry the hair, and to protect the ears from being accidentally burned by heated parts used to form waves or curls in the hair.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention may hereinafter appearl Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment or" the invention,

Fig. l is an outer face View of the article, the ear to' which it is to be applied being outlined in dotted lines.

Fig. 2V is a front edge View thereof.

Fig. 3 is an inner face View of the molding cover.

Fig. 4 is a vertical mid-section taken on line iof Fig. 3, there also being shown in this View the molding core member upon which the article is molded. The dotted lines in this view illustrate the unbent plate or piece of sheet material irom which the article is formed.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a modication.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the article is shown made of an elliptically shaped piece of rather heavy sheet material having a body p0rtion 5 with a convex marginal guard iiange 6 which surrounds the inner face of the article, but which may be absent from its lower side so as to permit the article to be slipped over the eX- ternal ear by a downward movement, and as hereinafter described.

A molding plate 8, desirably a rather thick piece of flexible material, is formed with marginal teeth,

or flaps 9, which present a serrated appearance in the unbent plate. These iiaps, or teeth, 9 have their end portions lapped over land secured down thus forming a passage I0 through the serrated margin of the plate to receive a soft iiexible wire II which serves as a pucker string in carrying out the method of manufacture illustrated in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 4 is shown a mold member I3 provided with 'an elliptical, symmetrically disposed head I5, and the article is shown having its flanged portion 6 molded upon and around the peripheral portion of said head. The molding operation will be completed by applying traction to the wire I I, thus drawing the article into close contact with the head I5, and thereafter heat-treating it to cause it to retain its molded form. The head I5 is of a attened character, having a flat outer surface I4 against which the body portion of the protector blank I2 is abutted.

The ange 6 may be omitted from the lower u part of the elliptically shaped blank I2 from which the article is formed, thus after completion it may readily be removed from the head I5, and also be placed on the ears more readily.

The molding plate 8 is desirably furnished with air vents I6. It should be elliptically shaped and of a somewhat greater diameter than the protecting plate 5,

Ihe inner edge of the flange 6 is formed with a ring or face I'I to fit against the side of the human head I8 indicated in dotted lines.

The mold member I3 has an annular shoulder 20 which serves to deflect the fianged part I'I. Said part I 'l consists of a terminal fiange on the inner side of the article and is directed outwardly and in substantial parallelism with the body portion of the protector. The result of this construction is that said ilange I 'i is caused to form a comfortable contact with the side of the head of the person wearing the device, the neck of the annular recess I'In between the flange Il and the body portion of the device serving to space said flange from the remainder of the device in such a way as to maintain the ear protecting part thereof at the proper distance from the head of the wearer.

The annular neck or recess portion I'In is of a suiiicient width, in combination with the thickness of the housing portion or body part 5 of the device, to keep the inner surface of the outer wall of the housing out of contact With the tissues of the ear of the wearer, as is indicated by the two, spaced apart, broken lines in the left hand portion of Fig. 2. Hence when the outer wall of said housing becomes heated from a blast of hot air directed thereagainst to dry the hair, the air space between it andthe ear protects the ear from being burned. While the ange I 'l at the inner side of the neck I'ln abuts against the side of the head, the adjacent portion of the housing 5 at the louter side of said neck contacts with the inner side of the external ear and contributes to stabilizing the device in its self-supporting position.

In Fig. 5the flange 6 is shown with its lower part cut away at 2| between adjacent flaps.

In Fig. 3 the molding plate 8 is shown having its edge cut away at 23 and the ends of the wire II are provided with eyes 24 secured together by a small pin or bolt 25.

Owing tothe resilient character of the article 5 it may be forcibly withdrawn from the head I4 of the mold member after which the ange E will spring back into place. If the article is made of Bakelite or like material it will be necessary to provide a collapsible mold member.

The device, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is of a symmetrical shape, its elliptical form making it applicable to the. ear either end up, and also lowering cost of manufacture.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture consisting of a form-maintaining piece of sheet material having a housing furnished with an outer wall and with a marginal flange adapted to engage the external ear and thereby support the article in an earprotecting position independently of any other supporting means therefor, said ange having its base portion inwardly deected and its edge portion deected laterally outward and in a suiciently spaced relation to its base part tol maintain the outer wall oi said housing out of contact with the ear of the wearer, said deflected portions of said flange combining to form an annularly recessed part to fit between the ear and the head and one of them being positioned to contact in a flatwise manner with the head of the person wearing the device.

2. An article of manufacture consisting of ya form-maintaining piece of sheet material having a housing furnished with an outer wall and with a marginal flange adapted to engage the external ear and thereby support the article in an earprotecting position independently of any other supporting means therefor, said ilange having its base portion inwardly deflected and its edge portion deected laterally outward and in a suiiiciently spaced relation to its base part to maintain the outer Wall of said housing out of contact with the ear of the wearer, said deected portions of said flange combining to form an annularly recessed part to t between the ear and the head.

FLORENCE M. Roos. 

